Indicia-card holder



Sept. 5, 1944.

H. G. SHAWv INDICIA GARD HOLDER y Filed oct. 19, 194s 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept 5, 1944. H. G. sHAw 2,357,430

INDICIA CARD HOLDER V Filed oct. 19; 1943 2 sheets-sheet 2 Mum@ " www a s/mw ma/M Patented Sept. 5, 1944 INDICIA-CARD HOLDER Herbert G.`Shaw, Derby, Conn., assigner to Great American Industries, Inc., Meriden, Conn., a

corporation of Delaware Application` ctober'19, 1943, Serial No. 506,914

19 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in indicia-card holders, e. g., holders'forcards I junction with multiple call-bell systems such as are commonly employed in the vestibules of apartment houses and the like, though the holders of the present invention are 'obviously useful in other situations wheresit is desired to hold and protect a card or its equivalent on which is marked a personal name or'any other desired indicia. s Y

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a superior holder for nameor other indicia-cards whereby such cards may be securely mounted in a readily visible manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a superior holder for 'transparent or translucent indicia-cards and in which the indicia on such cards may be rendered readily visible' by trans-luminescence.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a superior holder-unit of the character referred to which may be economically produced and which maybe `conveniently and readily assembled with other similar units.

Still another object of the present invention is .to provide a superior indicia-card holder so constructed and arranged that an individual in dicia-holder may be readily removed from a mounting panel or the like for effecting a change of indicia-cards, while still insuring that such individual indicia-holder may not be dismounted or otherwise harmfully tampered with by unauthorized persons.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the 'art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art.

v In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the'present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is a'view in front elevation of a vcall-box having a front cover-plate or mounting-panel and in Vwhich latter yis mountedY a plurality of indicia-card holders embodying they present invention;

Fig. 2 is a View thereof partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section; n Fig; 3 visv a broken view in rear elevationv of the mounting-panel detached and showing a plurality of holders mounted therein:

Fig. 4 is a broken vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 but on av largerscale;

Fig. 5 is a broken horizontal sectional `View taken onthe'line`5-5 of Fig. 3 but on a larger scale;

Fig. 6 is 'a smalllscale view in front elevation of the mounting-panel detached and stripped of card-holding units and associated'features;

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of one ofthe cardholding units; l Fig.\8 is a similar view of one of the retainingclips;

Fig. 9 is a sectional View of the same general character asFig. 5 but showing a modified form of mountingpanel;

Fig. 10 is a perspective View of one of the shirns,V

and

Fig. ll is a perspective View of a modified form of retaining-clip usefulV in lieu of the retaining clip shown in the preceding figures.

The particular embodiment of the presentinvention'herein chosen for illustration includes a plurality of corresponding card-holding units or members I5 mounted in a Aplate-like mounting-panelor -member I6 which latterserves as a removable coverplate for the' otherwise open front of a call-box Il.

The mounting-panel I6 'above referred to is removably secured over the open-front face of l the call-box Il in any suitable manner such, for instance, as'by four (more or less) screws I8, as indicated in'Figs.' 1 and 2. In its upper portion, the said mounting-panel I6 is formed with a rectangular opening I9`covered over by a grill 20 behind which may be mounted a telephone transmitter and loud-speaking receiver. 'In its lower portion, the mounting`-pane1 lIIS is formed .with three rectangular openings or apertures respectively designated 2I, 22 and 23 for purposes as rwill hereinafter appear. K

Mounted in the' left-hand opening v2| in the lower portion of the mounting-panel I6 `is a vertically-superimposed series of six (more or less) card-holding units I5 before referred to. Similarly, the right-hand opening 23 in the mounting-panel I6 has mounted therein a vertical series of six (more or less) card-holding units or members I5. The central opening 22 lying horizontally intermediate the left and right openingsZI' and 23,. has exposed therethroughafver- 'tical series of superimposed signal-blocks 24. The series of signal-blocks 24 mounttvvo vertical series of push buttons 25' respectively located adjacent leach of the respective opposite edges of the said series of signal-blocks. In aV manner customary in call-boxes each push-button 25 is adapted to close an electric circuit to operate a buzzer or other call-device of a given apartment. The signal-blocks 24 and their push-buttons 25 per se form no essential feature of the present invention but it may be noted that one of the push-buttons 25 is located adjacent the inner edge of each of the card-holding units I so as to be identified therewith. y

Each of the card-holders I5 preferably corresponds in all details to each other card-holder and is preferably formed of a transparent or translucent material such as cellulose-acetate or any one of the many available synthetics. Each card-holding unit I5 is, inthe instance shown, formed at its front with a rim-portion 26 of rectangular frame-like outline and laterally surrounding an oblong front wall 2l which is formed in a plane back of the plane ofthe front face of the rim-portion 26, as is clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

As shown, each of the card-holding units I5 is of elongated rectangular form in elevation and has integrally projecting from each of the respective opposite ends of its rim-portion 26, one of two corresponding oppositely-extending stopflanges 28--28. The respective rear faces of the said stop-flanges 28-28 bear against the front face of the mounting-panel I6 on each of the respective opposite sides of the particular one of the openings 2l or 23 in which the given cardholding unit is located.

At each of its top and bottom edges the cardholding unit I5 is formed with one of two par- .allel retaining-anges 29-29 extending perpendicularly with respect to the stop-flanges 28--28 and the front wall 2T. Adjacent one end of the unit I5 the retaining-flanges 29-29 may be integrally connected together by an end-wall 30 as is especially well shown in Fig. 7. The end of the unit I5 opposite the end-wall 30 is substantially open as shown, but at this location there is formed a pair of shallow card-holding lugs 3I-3I, functioning in a manner, as will hereinafter appear, to hold a card in place in the unit I5.

As before pointed out the card-holding unit or member I5 is preferably molded or otherwise formed from a transparent or translucent material such, for instance, as cellulose-acetate. Preferably, also, the front face of the said unit is rendered opaque by a coating of lacquer or the like, save only the front face of the front wall 21 within the bounds of the rim-portion 26. In this manner light may be transmitted through the localized area of the front wall 2'I to permit the ready observation of names or other indicia on an indicia-card 32 located against the back face of the front wall 21 and held in place against edgewise shifting by the retaining-flanges 29-2 9,

- end-wall 30 and holding-lugs 3I-3I.

In the particular instance shown for purposes of illustration, six of the card-holding units I5 are mounted one above the other in each of the openings 2l and 23 of the mounting-panel I6 making .a total of l2 units. Preferably and as shown, each card-holding unit has a vertical dimension corresponding to the vertical distance between two adjacent push buttons 25 of the signal-blocks 24 so as to locate the inner edge of a given card-holding unit horizontally in line with one of the push buttons 25.

When a group of Vcard-holding units such as I5 are installed in a given opening such as 2I or 23, one of the horizontal rearwardly-projecting retaining-flanges 29 of a given unit has its other face substantially in contact with the outer face of one of the retaining-flanges 29 of an adjacent card-holding unit, as is especially well shown in Fig. 4.

Fitting over the juxtaposed retaining-flanges 29-29 of a given pair of adjacent card-holding units I5 is one'of a series of retaining-clips or -members each generally designated by the reference character 33.

Each of the retaining-clips 33 above referred to includes a top wall 34, two opposed side-flanges 35-35 extending in parallelism with each other and two resilient stop-fingers 36-36 respectively extending forwardly and outwardly from the respective opposite ends of the top wall 34. Each of the side-anges 35-35 is for-med with two (more or less) anchor-prongs 31-31 cut directly from the material of the given sideflange and each anchor-prong having a pointed end directed inwardly away from the mountingpanel I6 and toward the top wall 34. The lower edge of each of the side-anges 35-35 is turned outwardly to form an edge-ange 38 and each given edge-flange has its respective opposite ends cut free of the side-ange of which it forms a part, so as to provide two oppositely-extending resilient card-holding fingers 39-3 9.

Preferably, each retaining-clip 33 is formed of sheet metal and all of its features 34 to 39 inclusive above referred to are integral with the rest of the retaining-clip.

The normal distance between the substantially parallel complemental side-ilanges 35--35 of a given retaining-clip is slightly less than the combined thicknesses of two juxtaposed retainingflanges 29-29 of an adjacent pair of card-holding units. When a retaining-clip 33 is forced forwardly over such .a pair of juxtaposed retaining-flanges 29-29, the side-flanges 35-35 will be -slightly sprung apart and the retaining-clip will beforced forwardly until the front end of its inclined flexible stop-fingers 36-36 seats against theback face of the mounting-panel i6 as is clearly shown in Fig. 5. When the retainingclips are mounted .as just described, the pair of anchor prongs 31 of each side-flange 35-35 will bite into the material of the adjacent retainingflange 29 to thus firmly anchor both parts I5 and 33 in place against accidental separation. When a given retaining-clip 33 is fully seated in place as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the complemental flexible card-holding fingers 39-39 of a given sideflange 35 will press against the rear face of the transparent or translucent indicia card 32 along.

one longitudinal edge thereof and serve to prevent the same from being displaced rearwardly. Thus the total of four card-holding fingers 39 provided on each of the retaining-clips 33 will serve to aid in retaining in place two indicia cards respectively located in adjoining cardholding units as will be apparent by reference to Fig. 4 in particular.

Instead of employing a retaining-clip or -member such as is shown in Figs. l to 9 inclusive, a modified form of retaining-clip may be employed such, for instance, as the retaining-clip or member 4I) illustrated'in Fig. 11. The retaining-clip or -member 40 of Fig. 11 corresponds generally to the retaining-clip of the preceding figures and similar parts bear similar reference numerals plus the reference character a.. In this retaining-clip, however, the edge-flanges 38a do not have integral card-holding ngers at their respective opposite ends but instead are provided spective opposite ends one of two card-holding fingers 43 capableof serving to retain an indicia card in place in lieu of the card-holding fingers 39-39 previously described. v

' In fitting a retaining-clip such as either 33 or 40 over the outer retaining-flange 29 of a cardholding unit which is located either at the top or bottom of a given opening such as 2l or 23, it is desirable to employ a shim such as the shim 44 illustrated in Figs. 4 and l0 so that the chosen retaining-clip will have the space between its complemental side-anges 35-35 or 35a-35a adequately filled to a degree substantially corresponding to the combined thicknesses of two anchoring-flanges 29.

If desired and as shown in Fig. 9 the mount-v ing-panel IBa may be substituted for the mounting-panel B. The mounting-panel la may have one or more openings such as Zla therein and around such opening the metal or other material of the mounting-panel is set inwardly to provide a pocket 45 substantially corresponding in depth to the thickness fro-rn front to rear of the stop-flanges 28-28 of a card-holding unit I5. In this manner, an unauthorized person intending to pry one of the card-holding units forwardly will be handicappedA in endeavoring to insert a pen-knife or other tool to obtain a leverage.

Incandescent electric bulbs such as the bulb 46 shown in Fig. 2 may be mounted -back of the mounting-member I6 or I6a so as to throw light forwardly through the transparent or partially transparent (translucent) front wall 21 of the card-holding unit l after first passing through the transparent or semi-transparent (translucent) indicia card 32.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1, An indicia-card-hol'ding structure, including in combination: a mounting-member formed with a holder-receiving aperture; a frame-like cardholding unit installed in the aperture in the said mounting-member and having two stop-flanges respectively' projecting in opposite directions therefrom adjacent the outer face of the unit, the said stop-anges having inner faces seating against the outer face of the said mountingmember to limit the rearward displacement of the unit relative to the said mounting-member, the said card-holding unit also having two anchoring-flanges extending rearwardly beyond the rear face of the said mounting-member; and anchoring-means engaging the two rearwardly-extending anchoring-flanges of the said card-holding unit anda rearwardly-facing portion of the said mounting-member to hold the said unit against forward displacement with respect to the said mounting-member.

2. An indicia-card-holding structure as set forth in claim l and in which the said anchoringtioned to bite into the anchoring-flange of the card-holding unit with which the said anchoring-means is engaged.

3. An indicia-card-holding structure, including in combination: a mounting-member formedwith a holder-receiving aperture; a frame-like cardholding unit installed in the aperture in the said mounting-member and having two stop-anges respectively projecting in opposite directions therefrom adjacent the outer face of the unit, the said stop-anges having inner faces seating against the outer face Aof the said mountingmember to limit the rearward displacement of the unit relative to the said mounting-member, the said card-holding unit also having two an- Charing-flanges extending rearwardly beyond the rear face of the said mounting-member; and anchoring-means engaging the two rearwardly-extending anchoring-flanges of the said card-holding unit and a rearwardly-facing portion of the said mounting-member to hold the said unit against' forward displacement with respect to the said mounting-member, the said vanchoringmeans having card-retaining means thereon extending into position between the anchoring-Y anges of the said card-holding unit to retain an indicia-card against a rear face of the said unit.

,4. An indicia-card-holding structure as deiined in claim 3 and inY which the card-retaining means of the said anchoring-means is in the form of a resilient linger.

5. An indicia-card-holding structure as dened in claim 3 and in which the card-retaining means of the said anchoring-means is in the form of a resilient finger and in which the said anchoringmeans is also provided adjacent its said cardretaining means with an anchoring-prong positioned to bite into the anchoring-flange of the card-holding unit with which the anchoring means is engaged.

6. .An indicia-card-holding structure, including in combination: a mounting-member formed with a holder-receiving aperture; a` frame-like cardholding unit installed in the aperture in the said mounting-member and having two stop-flanges respectively projecting in opposite directions therefrom adjacent the outer face of the unit, the

-said stop-hanges having inner faces seating against the outer face of the lsaid mountingmember to limit the rearward displacement of the unit relative to the said mounting-member, the said card-holding unit also having two rearwardly-extending anchoring-flanges located on the edges thereof intermediate the two said stopanges and projecting rearwardly beyond 'the rear face of the said mounting-member; and

anchoring-means engaging the two rearwardlymeans is provided with an anchor-prong posi- 745v extending anchoring-flanges of the said cardholding unit and a rearwardly-facing portion of the said mounting-member to hold the said unit against forward displacement with respect to th said mounting-member. 7. An indicia-card-holding structure, including in combination: a mounting-member formed with a holder-receiving aperture; a plurality of juxtaposed frame-like card-holding units installed in the aperture in the said mounting-member and each having two stop-anges respectively projecting in opposite directions therefrom adjacent theouter facer of the unit, the said stop-flanges having inner faces seating against the outer face of the said mounting-member to limit the rearward displacement of the unit of which it forms ,a part relative to the said mounting-member, each of the said card-holding units also having two anchoring-anges extending rearwardly beyond the rear face of the said mounting-member, one of the anchoring-flanges of one card-holding unit being located adjacent the similar anchoring-ange of an adjacent card-holding unit; and an anchoring-member engaging the respective adjacent anchoring-flanges of a pair of juxtaposed card-holding units, the said anchoringmember also having a portion engaging a rearwardly-facing portion of the said mountingmember to hold the said anchoring-member against forward displacement with respect to the said mounting-member.

8. An indicia-card-holding structure as set forth in claim '7 and in which the anchoring-- member is provided with at least two anchorl prongs respectively positioned to bite into the anchoring-flange of one of the two card-holding units with which the said anchoring-member is engaged.

9. An indicia-card-holding structure, including in combination: a mounting-member formed with a holder-receiving aperture; a plurality of juxtaposed frame-like card-holding units installed in the aperture in the said mountingmember and each having two stop-flanges respectively projecting in opposite directions therefrom adjacent the outer face of the unit, the said stop-flanges having inner faces seating against the outer face of the said mounting-member to limii-J the rearward displacement of the unit of which it forms a part relative to the said mounting-member, each of the said card-holding units also having two anchoring-anges extending rearwardly beyond the rear face of the said mounting-member, one of the anchoring-flanges of one card-holding unit being located adjacent the similar anchoring-flange of an adjacent cardholding unit; and an anchoring-member engaging the respective adjacent anchoring-flanges of a pair of juxtaposed card-holding units, the said anchoring-memberv also having a portion engaging a rearwardly-facing portion of the said mounting-member to hold the said anchoringmember against forward displacement with respect to the said mounting-member, the said anchoring-member having two card-retaining means thereon respectively extending into position between the anchoring-flanges of a given one of the said card-holding units to retain an indicia card against the respective rear face of the said units.

10. An indicia-card-holding structure as set forth in claim 9 and in which each of the cardretaining means of the said anchoring-member is in the form of a resilient nger. i

11. An indicia-card-holding structure as set forth in claim 9 and in which each of the cardretaining means of the said anchoring-member is in the form of a resilient finger and in which the said anchoring-member is also provided adjacent each of its said card-retaining' means with an anchoring-prong positioned to bite into one of the anchoring-anges of the adjacent cardholding unit.

12. An indicia-card-holding structure, including in combination: a mounting-member formed with a holder-receiving aperture; a plurality of juxtaposed frame-like card-holding units installed in the aperture in the said mountingmember and each having two stop-angesrrespectively projecting in opposite directions therefrom adjacent the outer face of the unit, the said stopanges having inner faces seating against the outer face of the said mounting-member to limit the rearward displacement of the unit of which it forms a part relative to the said mountingmember, each of the said card-holding units also having two anchoring-flanges located on the edges thereof intermediate the two said stopflanges and extending rearwardly beyond the rear face of the said mounting-member, one of the anchoring-anges of one card-holding unit being located adjacent the similar anchoringange of an adjacent card-holding unit; and an anchoring-member engaging the respective adjacent anchoring-flanges of a pair of juxtaposed card-holding units, the said anchoring-member havinga portion engaging a rearwardly-facing portion of the said mounting-member to hold the said anchoring-member against forward displacement with respect to the said mountingmember.

13. An indicia-card-holding structure including in combination: a mounting-member formed with a holder-receiving aperture; a frame-like card-holding unit installed in the aperture in the vsaid mounting-member and having stop-means thereon seated against the outer face of the said mounting-member to limit the rearward displacement of the unit relative to the said mounting-member, the said card-holding unit also having an anchoring-flange extending rearwardly beyond the rear face of the said mountingmember; and anchoring-means engaging the rearwardly-extending anchoring-flange of the said card-holding unit and a rearwardly-facing portion of the said mounting-member to hold the said unit against forward displacement with respect to the said mounting-member.

14. An indicia-card-holding structure, including in combination: a mounting-member formed with a holder-receiving aperture; a plurality of juxtaposed frame-like card-holding units installed in the aperture in the said mountingmember and each having stop-means thereon seating against the outer face of the said mounting-member to limit the rearward displacement of the unit of which it forms a part relative to the said mounting-member, each of the said card-holding units also having two anchoringanges extending rearwardly beyond the rear face of the said mounting-member, one of the anchoring-flanges of one card-holding unit being located adjacent the similar anchoring-flange of an adjacent card-holding unit; and an anchoring-clip of substantially U-shaped form in crosssection and having two substantially parallel sideiianges embracing between them the respective adjacent anchoring-flanges of a pair of juxtaposed card-holding units, the said anchoring-clip also having a portion engaging a rearwardlyfacing portion of the said mounting-member to hold the said anchoring-clip against forward displacementv with respect to the said mountingmember.

15. An indicia-card-holding structure, including in combination: a mounting-member formed with a holder-receiving aperture; a plurality of juxtaposed frame-like card-holding units installed in the aperture in the said mounting-member and each having stop-means thereon seating against the outer face of the said mounting-member to limit the rearward displacement of the unit o-f which it forms a part relative to the said mounting-member, each of the said card-holding units also having two anchoring-flanges extending rearwardly beyond the rear face of the said mounting-member, one of the anchoring-flanges of. one card-holding unit being located adjacent the similar anchoring-ange ofan adjacent cardholding unit; and an anchoring-clip of substantially U-shaped form in cross-section and having two substantially-parallel side-flanges embracing between them the respective adjacent anchoringflanges of a pair of juxtaposed card-holding units,

the said anchoring-clip also having at each of its respective opposite ends one of two complemental stop-fingers engaging a rearwardly-facing portion of the said mounting-member.

16. An anchoring-clip for indicia-card-holding structures, including in combination: a body-portion of substantially U-shaped form in cross-sec- "tion having two substantially-parallel sideanges constructed and arranged to embrace between them portions of a pair of juxtaposed cardholding units, the said anchoring-clip being provided at each of its respective opposite ends with stop-nngers extending in the same general direction as the side-flanges of the anchoring-clip.

18. An indicia-card-holding structure including in combination: a call-box structure having a removable front formed with a relatively-large holder-receiving aperture; a series of physicallydistinct card-holding units locatedin the holderreceiving aperture in the removable front of the call-box in juxtaposed relationship; and retaining-means engaging with both the removable front of the call-box structure and the said card-holding unit to retain the latter in place in the former,

the said retaining-means being constructed and arranged to be releasable only from the rear face of the removable front of the said call-box structure.

19. An indicia-card-holding struct-ure, including in combination: a mounting-member formed with a ho-lder-receiving aperture; a frame-like card-holding unit installed in the aperture Vin the said mounting-member and having two stopflanges respectively projecting in opposite directions therefrom adjacent the outer face of the unit, the said stop-flanges having inner faces seating against the outer face of the said mounting-member to limit the rearward displacement of the unit relative to the said mounting-member, the said card-holding unit having means thereon projecting into the aperture in the said mountingmember; and anchoring-means engaging both the mounting-member and the card-holding unit and constructed and arranged to restrain the said unit against forward displacement.

HERBERT G. SHAW. 

